Today the Earth is furthest from the Sun, a point called apehelion. We will be about 152,098,232km (94,509,459miles) from the Sun. Compare this to the 147,098,290km (91,402,639miles) we were at perihelion on Jan 4th, a difference of about 5,411,169km (3,362,344miles) occurs throughout one orbit.
It may seem odd that we are actually at the furthest for the middle of northern summer, you just have to remember that proximity to the Sun is not the cause of the seasons. The seasons are caused by the axial tilt of the Earth, creating short and long days throughout the year, with a resulting change in the angle and intensity of the sunlight.
| 2012 Solstices and Equinoxes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UT | HST | |||
| Perihelion | Jan 5 | 03:59UT | Jan 4 | 17:59HST |
| Spring Equinox | Mar 20 | 05:14UT | Mar 19 | 19:14HST |
| Summer Solstice | Jun 20 | 23:09UT | Jun 20 | 13:09HST |
| Apehelion | Jul 4 | 23:59UT | Jul 4 | 13:59HST |
| Fall Equinox | Sep 22 | 14:49UT | Sep 22 | 04:49HST |
| Winter Solstice | Dec 21 | 11:12UT | Dec 21 | 01:12HST |
| Source: USNO Data Services Website and the NASA Sky Calendar | ||||
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